


Latte Nights

by AndroidTwin



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Clint Barton is a mess but also brews Really Good Coffee, Dorks in Love, Fluff, M/M, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, This is Soft (TM)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-21
Updated: 2019-09-21
Packaged: 2020-10-25 14:36:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20725826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AndroidTwin/pseuds/AndroidTwin
Summary: Natasha and Clint own The Cafe Budapest, a 24-hour diner in the middle of New York. This is the story of one of their Night Shift regulars.Tony found the diner by chance, he'd been sleep-deprived and going out of his wits; now, the place was somewhere he'd go before bed, to wash off the day, to drink incredible coffee (don't tell Clint) and to flirt with Bucky Barnes while they forget the world outside.Or: Romance in four drinks and a pastry





	Latte Nights

**Author's Note:**

> I'll be back for a REAL Author's Note later but first,
> 
> Give my darling and talented [Monobuu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/monobuu/pseuds/monobuu) a round of well-deserved applause and kudos for her beautiful job (also for dealing with me) 
> 
> Without much preamble, here is my work for this year's WinterIron Bang

Part I: Doppio

He bets she is standing there, ready to materialize out of thin air as she is wont to do, for shit and giggles he assumes, the one that can neither confirm nor deny if she has been an Agent of any shadow government agency, she with the partner, co-owner of the diner and actual owner of the whole building while that while a dumbass, might also be in the same boat. They might have met on a mission, they might have a relationship beyond the platonic realm.

Good Maths! There were so many probabilities, mights and maybes, it made his head spin…'round 'round like a record baby, and _ maybe _that’s why JARVIS had cut off his caffeine intake for the day. Sleep deprivation was an old friend that had come knocking after several weeks of absence. Tony really hadn't missed the loopiness that made him feel like Donna Noble in her final days of companionship.

No matter the dubious origins, their coffee was art, otherworldly magic for the tastebuds and Tony was a believer. He's been coming to The Café Budapest for a month and some change; Clint’s Perkatory™ could be considered both a miracle and a hazard. From his place in the sidewalk he could make out the night shift regulars through the window; Rumlow and his pastry of the day, Logan at the bar with his cup of Drunk Chocolat and… yeah, James “Call me Bucky” was there too with his cute man-bun and rumpled t-shirt. 

At times and in the harsh light of day, he thinks that even if the coffee was sludge he’d still go into the place just for the sight of Bucky’s face. Tonight, he’s coming straight from the office and his clothes are a mess but even through the tiredness in his bones he feels good. Which is why he plasters himself against the glass with fanfare and makes a show of smooching Bucky through it. Much to his delight, the broody looking man, smiles coyly and turns his blushing face from Tony. 

☕🍮☕🍮☕🍮☕🍮☕🍮

☕🍮☕🍮☕🍮☕🍮☕🍮

Deed done and feeling like a successful peacock, Tony strolls into the Cafe and hits the bartop, only to have his double shot of espresso ready for him, without missing a beat, he blows a kiss and turns towards Bucky’s booth.

“Bucky bear, the sweetest of all brooders in the city.” 

The blush that had somewhat abated, came back full force. But Bucky was capable of dishing it out too, Tony wasn’t fooled by the endearing display. 

“That’s quite the mouthful, dollface,” says Bucky, raising his own "To Go" cup in greeting. "Oh Tony, master of Robo-kids."

Tony makes a see-saw motion with his free hand but takes the compliment as it is, "Not your best work, but I’ll take it.”

“I gave you a _ fact _, your claim on my broodiness is subjective.” Bucky points before taking a sip and pulling out one of the crazy crosswords Tony is fascinated by. “This is this week’s puzzle, they think they’re slick sneaking Romanian into it but I think I got it.”

“Wait, Romanian is a Romantic language.” Now that his curiosity has been piqued, Tony leaned over to look at the paper. A minute of quiet perusal and he found the key. “Vertical for Slavic, Horizontal for Latin. See?” He goes to point out some of the clues. “This is apple in Portuguese, potato in French, ohhhh this one, this one “A dip and a dance.” that’s Spanish!” 

“You sure you don’t wanna a copy, Bambi Eyes?” 

Now, it was Tony’s turn to go all coy, taking a sip of his coffee, he shook his head. “Nope, I rather like looking over your shoulder while you go about it.”

Bucky only shook his head in amusement and pulled out a pen, to start his crossword of the week. Tony took the chance to look at the man over the rim of his cup and smile indulgently even though he was the one being indulged. 

“So, what’s on your cup tonight, Buckster?” He had to ask, because Bucky never stuck to one drink; Tony's come to find that it was all tied to his mood. 

"The Raf." Smirking like an imp, just cause he knew it would get Tony going.

"Urgh, you've been hanging around Natasha far too long."

"Hey, it's better than Steve and his 1930's style Americano. That, that is a tragedy." Tony felt shivers down his spine and not in the sexy, talk nerdy to me vibe.

"Shush, oh god, your best friend has horrible tastes and I dislike it very much." 

"I know, I know but he's like my brother. Can't disown the guy for his lack of taste in coffee...or in clothes." Bucky's mock lament only serving in working Tony up.

"You dress like a hipster."

"I'm from Brooklyn," came as Bucky's defense, "I'm allowed!" Tony's laughter resided as warm bubble below his throat, ready to burst and spread around the space around them.

They settled in and out of the corner of his eye he got to catch the glimpse of Natasha's red bob and she melted back into the background of her quaint diner.

He bets a good chunk of his money, she'd be out in about half an hour to refill their cups. In the meantime, he bends his head close to Bucky's and savors both his coffee and the company of his adorable crush.

☕🍮☕🍮☕🍮☕🍮☕🍮

Pepper, who is a saint and a true beacon of light in his life, is decidedly not impressed with his nightly adventures.

"Listen, Pep. I've been good." He defends himself and wonders if JARVIS is gonna pipe in. "Not drinking before big meetings, actually hardly drinking these days."

"And that is very grown and responsible of you, Tony." Maybe a few years ago that would have elicited a childish reply, they've come a long way though. "That been said, you clearly took nothing but a cat nap and are on the mother of sugar highs."

"I'm a chronic insomniac, Pepper."

"Who's been taking midnight strolls for almost two months to God's know where and is obviously infatuated." 

"I'm not!" That got his attention away from the formula he was trying to re-work in order to boost efficiency and decrease size on the latest RESILIENT project and to his current business partner. 

Pepper stared him down and he had the slight urge to squirm. 

"I don't have a crush and if you _ must _ know I found a nice place where I like to go, just sit and relax; where I'm not _ the _Tony Stark."

"You have doodled anatomically incorrect hearts in digital blueprints, sir." JARVIS finally intervened, "I've also taken note and correlated these instances with of your change in music."

"You're a tattle-tale, J!" Tony hoped, a futile endeavor, that his ears weren't flushed. "No one like a gossip!"

"Oh no, what would become of my social status, sir. I truly despair at the possibility." JARVIS' dry retort filled him with pride and joy. To see his creation grow into his own, a great thing. Even if it was at his expense.

"Fine, he is very handsome. Speaks a few languages, is a nerd but dresses like a hipster and looks like has the predisposition of a goth. There, you happy?" He knew he'd cave at some point, and could still feel how heated his ears were. 

"What's his name, what does he do? How did you meet? Do you have a picture?" Pepper's questions came one after the other, her whole demeanor open and curious.

"I don't even have his phone number." 

Pepper leaned back into her chair, eyes wide. "What do you mean, you don't have his phone number?"

Tony shrugs, "We see each other, _ platonically _, pretty often and we talk and I invade his space and we do crossword puzzles in the wee hours of the night."

"I--"

"Have to finish coordinating the meeting with his Royal Fatness. Yeah, I know, Pep."

After studying him for a bit more, Pepper went decidedly back to work. Tony did his best to do the same.

☕🍮☕🍮☕🍮☕🍮☕🍮

He went by Cafe Budapest, napped and showered; a rare sight, since the first time he came through the doors he'd been wearing 2 day old clothes with stains and fraying, and goggles. So like a mad scientist/mole man.

Tony sat down, forgoing his usual in favor of branching out a bit, there was nothing wrong with experimenting new things, he knew this, hell he lived by that, still. He was willing to start with his coffee order and work his way up from there.

"Here's your _ Affogato _, Tony."

"Thanks, Katie." He gave her a smile as she went back behind the bar, to watch the patrons like the baby hawk in training that she is. 

Tony made a habit of not bringing work to the diner, not that it was frown upon just… he liked soaking up the atmosphere, the lightning that always seemed to be just right, the ambiance that invited people to disconnect from the troubles of the outside. 

He needed that, more than he'd known at the time. To think so little time had really passed. Tony drank some of his affogato, enjoy the sweet creaminess of the ice cream blending just right with the bitter richness of the coffee. He loved this place, it'd suck if it was just a cover for spies, it truly would.

"Good evening, Bambi. Where's your head at tonight?" Bucky smiled at him as he'd been doing as of late, after breaking the ice between them on a crowded night weeks ago.

"Oh not much, Buckysurus." Tony smiled back, because it was easy and he liked Bucky's lip tilt when Tony smiled back. "Just how it would suck if Nat and Clint only had the diner as a front for their spy business."

Bucky threw his head back in ruckus laughter, not even Rumlow's grumbling could bring Tony down.

So he settled in "their" booth, enjoying his drink, in the nice diner with a great companion as the city moved fast outside and time became a relative thing inside Cafe Budapest. 

☕🍮☕🍮☕🍮☕🍮☕🍮


End file.
